Mitsubishi has revealed its first production non-kei EV called the ASX VR-e, set to be launched in Australia in the fourth quarter of the year. The SUV-cum-hatchback carries on the Active Sports Crossover name into a new generation, with the suffix harking back to the legendary Galant VR-4 sports sedan.
Except it isn’t actually a wholly Mitsubishi product. Just like most of its other passenger car models released over the past few years, the ASX VR-e is a rebadge of another car. And if you’re thinking that this car looks suspiciously non-Alliance, that’s because it’s based on the Foxtron Bria (previously known as the Model B), built by famed iPhone maker Foxconn.
The Taiwanese firm inked a supply deal last May and in that intervening time, Mitsubishi has made a few changes to bring the car more in line with its needs. The full-width front light bar has been mildly restyled and now vaguely resembles the brand’s Dynamic Shield face, while the wheel design is also akin to other models in the stable.
Apart from the new linear pattern on the C-pillars, however, the rest of the car (bearing in mind that we have yet to see the rear end, although we’re not expecting big changes there, either) is identical to the Pininfarina-designed original.
That means you still get a sleek but rather nondescript design and features such as an active grille shutter, flush pop-out door handles and an S-duct bonnet to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The same is true for the interior, which retains its four-spoke steering wheel, clean horizontal dashboard, wraparound ambient lighting, slimline 9.2-inch instrument display and massive 15.6-inch centre touchscreen.
Mitsubishi has confirmed that the ASX VR-e will be offered in LS, Aspire, Exceed and GSR trim levels (trying to cram in every one of its iconic nameplates, I see), and while no details have been revealed just yet, the Bria is offered in Taiwan in single- and dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants.
The former’s rear motor produces 232 PS (171 kW) and 350 Nm of torque and is able to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds, while its 57.7 kWh LFP battery delivers a range of 516 km on the outdated NEDC cycle (around 440 km WLTP). Oddly, a 52 litre front boot is optional, joining a 320 litre rear boot.
Meanwhile, the AWD model pushes out 407 PS (299 kW) and 700 Nm, dropping the century sprint to just 3.9 seconds but also reducing the NEDC range to 466 km (circa 400 km WLTP). Both versions support up to 134 kW of DC fast charging and are able to top up the battery from 10 to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
For its part, Mitsubishi claims that the ASX VR-e will offer “sporty performance and responsive handling” thanks to extensive local testing and tuning by its global and regional teams. Over to you – do you believe the car will be a success in Australia, and would you like to see it in Malaysia, given that it’s been converted to right-hand drive? Let us know in the comments.
Mitsubishi Xforce
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Oh how the mighty has fallen.
Better than Xforce,
It’s a reborn for the ASX Gen 2 that rebadged Renault right?
japanese so trash they rebadge taiwan EV now hahaha